Welcome to the Common Craft newsletter, a free resource for educators, communicators, and explainers. Subscribe here Hello friends. Since 2007, Common Craft has created short, simple videos that make complex ideas easy to understand. Educators around the world use them to engage learners, save time, and spark lasting understanding. Our mission remains the same today, but Common Craft continues to evolve. Since 2012, Common Craft has been a membership service, allowing individuals and...
26 days ago • 1 min read
Welcome to the Common Craft newsletter, a free resource for educators, communicators, and explainers. Subscribe or read past issues. Hello friends. Deepfakes are a growing problem that needs more awareness. This video is now available for downloading and embedding for members via the Common Craft Video Library. Anyone can view it for free. New Video: Deepfakes Explained Link to this article Today, we can’t be sure if the videos, audio, or images we see online are real or fake. Thanks to AI...
6 months ago • 1 min read
Welcome to the Common Craft newsletter, a free resource for educators, communicators, and explainers. Subscribe or read past issues. Hello friends,I'm writing with a quick tip for organizing an explanation. I've used this example in workshops and courses and it seems to stick. Recently, a custom video client used the idea to describe his goals. He said, "I want to focus on the tree first, then the branches." That made my day. If you're looking for ideas and help with clarifying your message,...
7 months ago • 2 min read
Welcome to the Common Craft newsletter, a free resource for educators, communicators, and explainers. Subscribe or read past issues. Hello friends,Last week, I shared The Vibes Project, a purely educational newsletter I'm writing about human nature and the origins of "coolness" and "nerdiness." It's an unexpected subject to study and explain, but trust me, it's fascinating. The project is starting with a series of 5 posts on The Roots of Cool. I published the first issue last week on Cool...
10 months ago • 3 min read
Welcome to the Common Craft newsletter, a free resource for educators, communicators, and explainers. Subscribe or read past issues. Hello friends,I’m writing to invite you to a new project that I consider a long-term explanation. It’s called The Vibes Project, and it’s a free, purely educational newsletter about human nature and popular culture. The project will begin soon and I'd love to have you along for the ride. Subscribe for Free What is it About? Human nature represents a difficult...
10 months ago • 1 min read
Welcome to the Common Craft newsletter, a free resource for educators, communicators, and explainers. Subscribe or read past issues. Hello friends, Before diving into the details, a quick reminder: After years of focus on our video library, I've now cleared part of my schedule for consulting services. If you need help pitching a new product, explaining a complicated idea, or developing a clear presentation, let's talk. Using the Tricolon to Make Ideas Memorable As a daily user of NYT Puzzles,...
11 months ago • 2 min read
Welcome to the Common Craft newsletter, a free resource for educators, communicators, and explainers. Subscribe or read past issues. Hello friends, Every four years, a Common Craft video gets renewed attention. Why? Because it clearly explains how the US elects a president. Electing a US President in Plain English Watch the video below on YouTube: About the Video: The electoral college process is complicated. When we decided to make the video in 2008 it took research to see the big picture...
about 1 year ago • 1 min read
Welcome to the Common Craft newsletter, a free resource for educators, communicators, and explainers. Subscribe or read past issues. Hello friends, Are you working on something complicated? Needing to communicate change? Hoping to get support for a new direction or educating a team? In these situations, clear explanations are essential. Working with an outside partner can help you see new opportunities and avoid getting stuck. This person can help develop your points and ensure you get the...
about 1 year ago • 1 min read
Welcome to the Common Craft newsletter, a free resource for educators, communicators, and explainers. Subscribe or read past issues. Hello friends, Lately, I've been focused on the idea of designing explanations for specific events or outcomes (job interviews, presentations, policy changes, etc.) This means taking a step back and thinking like a designer who is solving a specific problem. In working with companies, entrepreneurs, educators, and more, I see the same problem over and over: They...
about 1 year ago • 1 min read
